Chapter 240: If I don’t sit on the throne, I’m not the king?
My mother is too spoiled. If she doesn't suffer a little, one of her and Cheng Jiao will die in the future. For the stability of Daqin in the future, I have to inconvenience my mother today.
The First Emperor closed his eyes lightly, and while thinking slowly, he held Empress Afang's jade hand and squeezed it a little harder.
Stop this guy.
Afang, who grew up with the First Emperor since childhood, had a deep understanding with the First Emperor and responded with a little force with her white hands.
good.
"Brother, please stop making trouble..."
Ying Chengjiao leaned close and whispered, wanting the First Emperor to come forward and take charge of the situation.
"Uncle, can't you leave His Majesty a chance to live?"
Afang reacted greatly. She wrapped her arms around the First Emperor and hugged him tightly to prevent Ying Chengjiao from touching her.
He raised his slender neck, which was as white as winter snow, with the veins on it clearly visible, and his voice was full of tears.
Ying Chengjiao stopped talking and stared at the emperor's sister-in-law with wide eyes.
Just now, the First Emperor opened his eyes and spoke with his lips. The table blocked other people's view, so how could Afang, who was holding the First Emperor in her arms, not see it?
"Sister-in-law, you..."
When Ying Chengjiao said this, he was so surprised that he couldn't control the volume, and everyone in the front row of the Xuanniao Hall could hear it.
The old people didn't care about the matter even though it concerned them. They just kept silent, looking at each other as if they hadn't heard anything.
The great hero Gai Niegai touched the scabbard of his sword and said, "Where is my sword?"
Zhao Ji, who was rubbing her hands on the ground to grab Gai Nie's sword, had the biggest reaction. Her fingers had already touched the hilt, but she did not grab the hilt. Instead, she raised her head with confused eyes and looked towards the platform.
A thought habitually flashed through my mind, which was dominated by regret - still calling her the Emperor's sister-in-law?
"Who is your sister-in-law? Don't even think about asking me to hand His Majesty over to you!"
Afang cried again and interrupted Ying Chengjiao's words. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Ying Chengjiao apologetically, but the words she said did not sound apologetic.
"If you want to kill Your Majesty, then kill me too!" His voice was sonorous and powerful, full of his determination to die.
Ying Chengjiao’s eyes widened.
You two are such good actors, why don’t you go to The Birth of an Actor?
Zheng'er is not dead yet!
Hearing Afang shouting these words, Zhao Ji, who had not suffered much damage, felt full of strength, grabbed the sword and jumped up.
The long sword thrust out, unstoppable, aimed at Ying Chengjiao.
"Don't hurt my Zheng'er!"
well.
Gai Nie sighed inwardly, tapped the ground with his feet, and his body moved gracefully. He was the last to arrive but was the first to arrive, and snatched back the sword in the air.
Zhao Ji's hands were tied behind her back.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!”
Zhao Ji let out meaningless screams, twisting her body with all her strength, using her charm technique to the maximum, struggling with all her might.
But it didn't work.
She was quite strong, but not strong enough for a sword master whose inner strength was manifested in the form of power.
Her charm is very powerful, but Gai Nie has a sword heart, and this charm cannot make the sword saint with a clear sword heart set up a tent.
So no matter how Zhao Ji struggled, her two white, tender and smooth wrists were covered with red marks and were about to be worn out, and she could not break free from Gai Nie's big hand that was like an iron hoop.
"You can't even get up? Ying Zheng, are you still a human being?" Ying Chengqi used words to provoke the First Emperor.
With Afang's interruption and reminder, the decibel of the sound was just right this time.
It was only enough for him, the First Emperor, and Afang to hear it.
The First Emperor lay quietly in Afang's arms, with no intention of standing up.
Listening to his mother's wailing, the First Emperor felt sorry for her.
But the First Emperor knew that if he did not show mercy today, sooner or later his mother and brother would kill each other.
Although he clenched his left hand under the table and his breathing became heavy, he suppressed the urge to get up.
Afang knew that the First Emperor was in a bad mood, so she hugged him even tighter, using this method to comfort him.
"Royal brother, if you are determined to lie down, please lie down well and never get up." Ying Chengjiao squeezed out these words from between his teeth, shook his sleeves, and walked down the platform with a cold face.
He approached Zhao Ji with a face that looked extremely ferocious and deserved to die a thousand times in Zhao Ji's eyes.
"You want your son to live?"
Zhao Ji's crazy expression suddenly stopped, a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes for an instant, and the amplitude of her struggle suddenly dropped from the peak to the bottom.
"think."
The next moment, Zhao Ji lowered her head, which had always been held high since Zhao joined Qin, even in front of King Zhuangxiang of Qin, and said with a red and swollen face.
The voice was light.
Seeing that Zhao Ji had no intention of attacking anymore, Gai Nie released Zhao Ji's hands at the right time.
Although he, who possesses a sword heart, will not be embarrassed by Zhao Ji's charm, it does not mean that he is immune.
Just like some people have a very strong ability to tolerate pain, but that doesn’t mean they won’t feel pain.
It would be better not to feel pain if you can avoid it. Hero Gai Nie Gai is very kind to you.
The hands are free and the body can move freely.
Zhao Ji bent her knees without hesitation and was about to kneel on the ground.
As the action proceeds, the words follow.
"Please, Lord Chang'an, spare my son's life."
The words were spoken, but it didn't matter whether he knelt down or not.
Ying Chengjiao grabbed Zhao Ji's shoulders with both hands and stopped her behavior.
He originally wanted to give Zhao Ji a good warning to prevent any bad things from happening in the future.
But Zhao Ji's reaction was beyond his expectations. Zhao Ji softened too quickly.
He knelt down as soon as he was told to, without any of his previous arrogance and cruelty of risking his own life for another's.
There was silence for a while.
Ying Chengjiao laughed loudly, and his laughter echoed back and forth in the somewhat silent Xuanniao Palace.
"Look, mother, we have kept it from them all!"
The change in Zhao Ji's expression was terrifying, and she immediately smiled faintly after Ying Chengjiao finished speaking.
The slightly swollen face did not hinder her elegant and graceful temperament at all. She glanced at Ying Chengjiao, then glanced at the phoenix crown that fell on the ground.
"only."
Ying Chengjiao responded immediately, picked up the phoenix crown from the ground, held it in both hands properly, and put it on Zhao Ji's head.
"It would be too boring to just eat and drink during the wax festival. I am afraid that you will get tired, so I will put on a fake show with Cheng Jiao to cheer you up."
Zhao Ji's voice was clear and even though her body was stained with blood, no one thought she looked awkward or funny when she spoke.
The swollen face, the graceful demeanor, and the phoenix crown on the head symbolize power.
"I am tired and a little sleepy. Queen, you and His Majesty will take me back to Ganquan."
Afang wiped away the tears from her eyes, stood up and replied softly, "Yes."
"Everyone, get out."
Ying Chengjiao gave an order.
"only!"
The secret guards responded in unison.
They covered their faces and apologized to the royal members, concubines, princes and princesses who were under their control.
Without waiting for a response from the person being apologized to, he left the Xuanniao Palace and disappeared into the night.
They were like the tide on the coast, entering like the rising tide and leaving like the ebbing tide, leaving nothing behind in the Xuanniao Palace.
Gai Nie and Afang supported the First Emperor and followed Zhao Ji out of the Xuanniao Palace.
A dozen old men scolded Ying Chengjiao for his nonsense and sat back in their seats.
"Mom, try it. This orange is very sweet."
The little glutton finally got to eat the orange he had been longing for. The filial Third Master, who never forgot his mother while eating the orange, handed the peeled half orange to Concubine Chu's mouth.
Concubine Chu looked at her son silently, and wanted to train his trumpet again.
Why is this guy the king?
"Why are you looking at me like that, mother?" Ying Jianglu was a little confused, and then he seemed to wake up, leaning his head over and whispering, "Mother, you won't take this seriously, will you?"
Concubine Chu opened her mouth and chewed the orange with her plump lips. The sweet juice burst out in her mouth and she nodded slightly.
"sweet."
When the false is made to appear true, the true becomes false.
When truth becomes false, falsehood becomes truth.
Who knows whether it is true or false?
Who can see through the sinister and treacherous Master Cheng Jiao?
Maybe this guy is right.
The noisy voices rang out again, and the waves of joy hit the Xuanniao Palace again.
It seemed as if without the First Emperor in charge, the royal family, concubines, princes and princesses all felt a lot more relaxed.
A group of old men sat down around Ying Chengjiao again, waiting for the rise and fall of laughter in the hall, not sure whether it was real laughter or pretended laughter.
My great uncle had just picked up a piece of venison and was chewing it carefully when he suddenly said something without any warning.
"Tougher than Huayang."
The grumpy old man who threw away his chopsticks kept showing off the meat like crazy, with his mouth stuffed full, as if he hadn't eaten meat for years.
"Kill him."
These three words seeped out from the cracks in the meat that were filled with meat scraps, minced meat and chunks of meat.
The old man had a habit when he was young, that is, he must show off his fullness before going to the battlefield.
First, it's for the sake of killing, and second, if you get killed, you want to die a sated death.
"How can this be!"
Although Ying Xi was not of high generation, he had the bonus of being the eldest son of King Xiaowen of Qin, which actually gave him quite a say among this group of people.
He picked up the wine bottle and was about to drink, but after hearing what the old man who threw away the chopsticks said, he immediately refuted it and slammed the wine bottle back on the table.
"Do you really think Cheng Jiao is the king?"
The implicit meaning of this sentence is: If we kill Zhao Ji, how can we stand in front of Your Majesty?
"I'll trade lives with her."
The old man who threw away the chopsticks had a mouth full of the fishy smell of meat. When he spoke, his mouth was a little wide and some meat scraps fell out.
"It's a good thing to do something for your baby before you die."
After speaking, the old man carefully picked up the meat scraps on the table and put them into his mouth, chewing them carefully.
The old man treated this as his last meal.
"Your Majesty will not blame individuals, but only the clan." An old man with a slightly bald head drank the wine in the wine bottle and said, "Don't think that Your Majesty dare not kill people."
"Grand uncles, great uncles, great uncles, uncles, uncles."
Ying Chengjiao smiled bitterly, raised the wine bottle with both hands and toasted again and again.
"I just want Queen Mother Zhao to behave herself. How come you are more murderous than me? It's unnecessary. Just treat her as the mother of Huayang. Don't talk about whether to kill her or not."
"Although Queen Mother Huayang and I are not on good terms, we have one thing in common: we all recognize you as our king. But this woman is different. She wants to kill you."
An uncle of Ying Chengjiao frowned and spoke, with a fierce look flashing in his eyes.
"What did the little boy say just now?" my great-uncle asked casually.
Ying Xi was silent.
The old man who threw away the chopsticks remained silent.
The slightly bald old man remained silent.
All the old men were silent.
Their movements remained the same, natural and unaffected.
The crisp sound of chopsticks hitting the plate, the smacking sound of chewing food, the slurping sound of drinking wine...
The only thing is that there is no more talking.
What Ying Xi just said was "Do you really think Cheng Jiao is already the king?"
No one doubted that my great-uncle had a very bad memory, so bad that he had forgotten what he had just heard.
If my great uncle was not asking this question, he was emphasizing - let Cheng Jiao be the king.
Although no one answered, no one objected either.
Silence means silence, and silence means agreement.
"Granduncle, thank you for your kindness, but please don't cause any trouble."
Ying Chengjiao smiled bitterly and picked up the wine bottle to break the silent atmosphere.
"Come on, come on, I'll toast to you first, and then everyone else will toast. Let's stop here, okay?"
Ying Chengjiao was about to raise the jug to drink, but his great-uncle stretched out his big hand to cover the mouth of the jug and looked at Ying Chengjiao with his old eyes.
"You have been lazy since you were little. If your brother were alive today and saw you like this, your father and your great-grandfather would not be able to become king."
Ying Chengjiao smiled and said, "Of course, if my grandfather were alive, he would definitely be the king. Would my great-grandfather still rebel?"
"No one is joking with you!"
The old man who throws away his chopsticks always puts more food into his mouth before he swallows it, which makes his voice sound a little hoarse.
"That woman was fine in Yongcheng before. She had no control over Xianyang affairs, and there was nothing wrong with Your Majesty being the king. Now she has returned to Xianyang, and she dared to kill you in front of us. Who knows what she will do after today.
"I won't live for many more years. I promised Zichu that I would take care of you and I can't break my promise. If you go down to see Zichu before me, I won't dare to talk back when your father scolds me. So let's just make it real and let everyone support you to take the throne."
The old man with a dark complexion sitting next to the old man who threw away the chopsticks nodded in agreement.
He said: "That's the truth. It has always been the Ying family that has the right to kill others. When will..."
Tap tap tap
Ying Chengjiao put his index finger upside down and knocked on the table three times, interrupting the old man's words.
"That's enough." Ying Chengjiao said seriously.
The elderly people all looked unhappy.
It's you who's going to be killed. We're risking our own lives to help you get promoted, and you're giving us a bad face?
"I, Ying Chengjiao, will get what I want myself. If you elders really want to help me, you can stay at home and take care of your children and nephews. This will be the greatest help to Chengjiao."
Ding~
The most dignified great uncle knocked on the bowl with a pair of chopsticks.
"We can't be so careless about this. Qingji is a martial arts master with a brute force that few in the world can match. He can hunt rhinos with his bare hands. Yaoli's martial arts are not as good as Qingji's, but he gained Qingji's trust by breaking his arm and assassinated him when he was not prepared. It can be seen that there is no one in the world who cannot be assassinated. Kid, this matter is not up to you."
Three breaths after his great uncle finished speaking, Ying Chengjiao raised his head and said softly, "Is great uncle done? I said, it's not necessary."
"Cheng Jiao!" Ying Xi's face darkened and he said, "Your great uncle is doing this for your own good. How can you talk to your great uncle like that?"
"What I hate most in my life." Ying Chengjiao's face turned cold, and he said, "It's the three words 'for your own good'."
Ying Chengjiao looked at the gate of Xuanniao Palace from afar and said softly, "Everyone has their own choice. Can you please not interfere with Chengjiao?"
Looking back, I looked at the group of elderly people.
"If I don't sit on the throne, I am not the king? I am the king designated by my grandfather, my eldest grandfather, my great-grandfather, my elder brother, and four generations of Qin kings. What the king sees, the elders are not allowed to see."
The old men were silent.
After a long time, my great uncle let out a long sigh.
"promise."
